INSIDE BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY

Stanley Madan, former professor, dies at age 84

MADAN

Stanley Madan, 84, professor emeritus of chemistry, died March 9 of congestive heart failure. Madan, who came to Binghamton in 1960, earned his bachelor’s and two master’s degrees from Forman Christian College in Pakistan and an additional master’s degree and his doctorate from the University of Illinois.

Madan had a profound presence within his department, particularly through his work with graduate students, colleagues said.

Professor Alistair Lees, chair of the Department of Chemistry, said that until the last few weeks, Madan had been in the office “every day since I walked in here in ’91.

“He would come in every day for about an hour. He saw his role as providing a resource for graduate students to look into jobs and give advice to beyond that of a research advisor,” he said. “In the classroom, Stan was always very warm to students and very approachable.”

He frequently participated in research groups, listening to student presentations and serving as an editor for manuscripts and theses, said Wayne Jones, associate professor of chemistry. “He also would bring them all the way to fruition in terms of publications and published about 10 papers in the last several years with students and faculty as co-authors where he played a critical advisory role,” Jones said. “In that regard, he played an enormous service role for students.”

Madan’s connections with students remained strong after they left the campus as well. “He’s been our alumni contact and as a result, he’s like the biggest network of contacts for all of our former students,” Lees added.

An inorganic chemist, Madan was “keen to do research” when he came to Binghamton, seeking out opportunities that made him a National Science Foundation Fellow at Indiana University, the University of Tennessee, Ohio State and Tufts. He was also a visiting professor at Cornell University.

Madan retired from Binghamton in 1988, returning to teach again until 1992.

He is survived by his wife, Carol, and his son, John, as well as several siblings. Donations in his memory may be made to the Stanley K. Madan Award in Inorganic Chemistry, account #20834502400.